Google

OK, Google started as a search company in 1998, when Sergey Brin and Larry Page were doctoral students at Stanford. And fifteen years later? Google is a verb. That's how ingrained it's become into our lexicon, as well as into our lives. If you want to know something, you "Google" it.

Of course, Google is so much more now. It's an advertising company (which still provides the bulk of its revenue). It's a video-hosting company, with YouTube. It's a social network, with Google+. It's a mobile company, with Android. It's leading the wearables revolution with Google Glass and Android Wear. Google's making inroads into enterprise with its web-based infrastructures, to the point where municipal governments and private businesses alike are ditching the server racks for the cloud. It's seeking to change the way we use computers with its not-quite-a-thin-client Chromebooks.

And that was just the first 15 years.

Where will Google go next? That's a question many of us can't wait to see answered. And, understandably, it's a question many are wary of. Is Google too big? Is it too powerful? Does it know too much? Is it doing the right things for the right reasons? Or is it just trying to become as rich and powerful as it possibly can? Those are all fair questions, and ones that Google should ask itself, and ones that we as its customers should continue to it.

All Google

Welcome to Google Town
Google Fiber is in the process of turning the cable internet service on its head with low-cost, high speed service, and according to a report from The Information (subscription required) Google is considering doing the same for mobile phone service. The report cites a...

The long-awaited and much-clamored-for Google stock split has arrived. The split, which will see one share of GOOG stock divided into two shares, is a little more complicated than a simple straight-forward split. Instead of two shares of GOOG at half the value of the pre-split stock, investors...

Greenpeace has published a report on the renewable energy used by major internet companies, including those active in the mobile space. Topping the list is Apple, which apparently runs iCloud and iTunes on 100% green electricity. It’s got a massive solar farm powering its North Carolina data...

If you're after a more visual guide to the differences between HTC's new hotness, the HTC One M8, and Google's current stock Android flagship, the LG-built Nexus 5, you'll want to check out our hands-on comparison video above. When you're done, be sure to head on over to our full head-to-head...

Google is petitioning the Supreme Court to dismiss one of the Google Street View lawsuits.
Google Street View vehicles would scan unencrypted and open Wifi networks to help find the Street View cars location, which led to cries of privacy violations, and ultimately lawsuits.
While the FCC...

How does HTC's latest match up to Google's six-month-old Nexus?
With the launch of the new HTC One M8 last week, the first major Android flagship of 2014 is finally upon us. And as we said in our full review of the phone, the M8 is one of the most impressive Android devices we've used. But...

Google today (as noted in an email from Communications Policey Manager Derek Slater) released an updated Transparency Report, in which it gives rough numbers for the number of times the government has requested information on its users. It's definitely worth a look-see. Also worth a few minutes...

Feature to roll out over the next couple of weeks
Google finally transitioned from the solid black bar at the top of all of its sites to using more of an "app launcher" style approach, and just like on your Android you can now organize the Google Bar to your liking. What used to require a third-...

Folks in the Pacific Northwest can try out Glass for themselves with no strings attached
Google has been hitting the road over the past several months, going to major cities around the U.S. to show off Google Glass to the public. Falling in behind Durham, Detroit, Austin and Atlanta previously,...

Pressure from both Google and Microsoft apparently to blame
ASUS proudly showed off its new Transformer Book Duet TD300 at CES in January, but a new report suggests the Android/Windows 8 hybrid laptop/tablet has been cancelled. The Wall Street Journal claims that pressure from both Google and...

Former Green Throttle staff, including co-founders, are headed to work for Google as well
Green Throttle Games, the now-defunct maker of a Bluetooth controller accessory for Android devices, is the latest Google acquisition. Although it had basically stopped supporting its controller hardware...

New functionality from third-party organizations
Google has today announced the arrival of add-ons for Google Drive, bringing new capabilities from partner developers to its web-based productivity apps. Activated from the new "Add-ons" menu when editing a document or spreadsheet, add-ons are...

Mother suing over $69 of in-app purchases through Marvel game
Google is facing a class-action lawsuit over claims it "unfairly" profited from unauthorized in-app purchases by children. The suit was filed by New York mother Llana Imber-Gluck, who says her child spent $68.95 on virtual currency...

Could this mean the Google Watch is finally a reality?
According to CNET's Daniel Terdiman, who is on the ground at the SXSW conference, Google will be releasing their own SDK for wearable devices in two weeks.
At #SXSW @sundarpichai says Google will launch first SDK for developers for Android...

But 'mm-qcamera-daemon' glitch may affect other KitKat devices too
Google says it has fixes ready for reported high CPU usage connected to the Nexus 5's camera, according to a post by a Googler on the company's issue tracker. The bug can cause the phone's CPU to become maxed out — resulting in...

Gradual change will force users to sign up for a proper Yahoo ID to use services like Flickr or fantasy sports
At a time when many are calling for a simple, secure and single sign-in across the web, Yahoo is taking a step back. Starting soon, to access any of Yahoo's Internet services — which...

Developers can apply to receive one of 200 prototype units to build software for
Google ATAP (Advanced Technology and Projects), a small group of engineers inside the company dedicated to new and exciting projects, has announced its latest effort in the smartphone space — Project Tango. ATAP...

Won't stop games being made but should reduce Flappy spam
After Flappy Bird's rampant success, the inevitable rush of clones and 'Flappy' everythings started to emerge. The Play Store – and iOS App Store – is full of them, but it looks now as if developers will at least have to be more creative...

Regulatory filing shows deal closed on Feb. 7
Nest is now officially a Google property after the deal has been finalized. A regulatory filing submitted by Google shows that things were signed and sealed on Feb. 7. The $3.2 billion deal brings Tony Fadell and his team officially under the Google...

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